Booster Seat (Help!) Long Car Trip -- looks sooo uncomfortable

[Anonymous]

This weekend I went looking at booster seats -- they all look so uncomfortable, maybe because the recline option is not there? We take long trips every two months to see our in-laws (8-10 hours) and I just can't imagine my DS being comfortable (we drive through the night) in that seat. Are there any accessories that I can buy or are there some "special" boosters that I'm not aware of? Please help!!!

[Anonymous]

OP, you don't want a recline option, because it's not safe in case of accident. For my kids, what seemed to help was that the top part of the seat (where their heads were) had the "side" rests. Made it easy for them to have their head resting on the right or left side without getting crick in their neck. So, even if you kid is big enough to have a "backless" booster, you still might want to get one with the back, specifically for use on the long car trips. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

How old is your DS? we have a very tall six year old in the frontier, harnessed. We are going to change it to the booster option soon, but waiting until after Christmas because it becomes less reclined when you change it.

Could he not still ride in his harnessed car seat for the long trip? They will be more reclined than the booster.

[Anonymous]

Reclining your seat to lay down isn't even safe for an adult. Read your car manual--the seat belt is designed to catch on your hips. If you're too far reclined, it will miss your hips in the case of an accident and eviscerate all those important organs in your belly.

For your DS, maybe a high-back booster is a better option, so he at least has something to lean his head against.

[Anonymous]

Highback booster (we have a Graco Nautilus) helps. So does a neck pillow. But they really aren't for sleeping in (kind of like sleeping in a regular seat - its just not comfortable).

How old is he? Any reason (outgrown, etc) why he can't stay in his harnessed seat for the trip this year? You may have to rethink your plan of driving overnight as kids get older. We do 8 hour trips with kids during the day without too many issues.

[Anonymous]

Clek oobr is very comfortable if you want to spend the $$. It does have a recline option, but it's not much so that it doesn't interfere with proper belt path. They market their design as preventing "numb bum." My son has had his for three years and has spent up to five hours in it (with breaks). No complaints on comfort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Highback booster (we have a Graco Nautilus) helps. So does a neck pillow. But they really aren't for sleeping in (kind of like sleeping in a regular seat - its just not comfortable).

How old is he? Any reason (outgrown, etc) why he can't stay in his harnessed seat for the trip this year? You may have to rethink your plan of driving overnight as kids get older. We do 8 hour trips with kids during the day without too many issues.

Sorry, we have the Turbobooster not the Nautilus! (What am I thinking?)

The Nautilus can be harnessed or used in booster mode. That is an option if your child has outgrown his current seat but you still want him in a 5 point harness. The Britax Frontier is similar.